Cursed: The New Order of Merlin Book 2

17. Divine challenge

When everyone came back from the Quidditch match, flooding the common room with excited chatter, Elsa was in the middle of her Transfiguration homework.

"Why didn't you come to the game?" Padma asked her, plopping into an armchair, already changed into dry clothes.

"I had more important things to do than getting wet for hours to watch a bunch of fools fly on broomsticks."

"It was the most exciting game I've ever seen." Padma looked up dreamily at the painted ceiling while outside, the wind howled mercilessly. "Hufflepuff's Seeker is Cedric Diggory. Oh, he's a hottie, have you met him? Cedric caught the Snitch, and at the same time, Harry Potter was attacked by a horde of dementors and would have fallen to his death if not for your brother."

Elsa lifted her eyes off her parchment. "What did Jack do?"

"He flew right between the dementors, caught Potter before he fell off his broomstick, and brought them both down to safety. And so your brother nearly single-handedly won the game—despite Hufflepuff getting the Snitch, that's how many points he racked up—and then he saved Harry Potter's life because why not." Padma covered her mouth and giggled. "Then all the teachers in the stands cast some kind of wispy ghosts from their wands to chase the dementors off. It was quite a show."

"I don't get why Jack would risk it. He doesn't even like Potter." Getting back to her homework, Elsa muttered, "Only a Gryffindor would be so foolhardy, am I right?"

"Nothing is good enough for you, is it?" Padma put her elbows on her knees and stared at Elsa. "If it were my twin, I'd come to her games to support her."

Disliking the tone, Elsa stared back, reaching deep inside the girl's mind. "Leave," she commanded.

Padma frowned and grimaced. Was she fighting the influence? After a moment of confusion, she stood and mechanically left the room. That wasn't quite perfectly obedient yet. Controlling hags was much easier, but Elsa was hopeful that she'd master the skill.

"She has no idea what I'd do for my twin," Elsa said to herself.

She put a period after the last sentence and sighed in relief. With homework complete, she could relax and think about her next step. Mother didn't write her back and that worried her even more than if she'd written asking what was taking so long. Elsa was trying, she really was.

"I had fun!" Luna said, startling Elsa so much, she froze her parchment. "Whoopsie."

Elsa tried to magic the ice away, but it only became thicker. It was a lot harder to undo the ice magic than to do it in the first place, and if she used a warming spell, it would melt the ink and destroy the whole essay, and there was no way she was writing it all over again.

"I'm terribly sorry," Luna said. "I can transcribe it for you on fresh parchment."

Elsa nervously finger-combed the end of her braid, trying to think. She had been neglecting her ice powers. That had to be it.

"It's fine," she said. "I'll just deliver it to McGonagall like this."

Luna blinked a few times and broke into a grin. "What an ingenious idea. I bet she'll be happy to get such a unique gift."

Elsa stood, ready to leave, but Luna gently caught her wrist.

"Elsa, are you all right? Sue Li is missing, but you still have me. Tell me if I can help."

It was difficult to not melt under Luna's warm gaze, and for a moment, Elsa considered asking for help in her project, but she couldn't risk anything happening to Luna or any other human. Only Jack could help her, but he made his indifference clear. She was on her own even if what she was doing would benefit them both.